Someone That Finally Listened
by Azuranaito
Summary: There's always a need to confide in someone when times are hard. A trusted confidant can be found in the most unlikely places or be the most unlikely of people. And when the stress of working for King Dedede becomes to be a hell for Escargoon, he finds that a confidant can go both ways when Meta Knight's sister, Skyla, fills the needed role. Rated K for mild swearing


Someone That Finally Listened

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing in this fanfic besides the OCs used in it. All rights belong to Nintendo!**

 **A/N: This is a more animecentric one shot. I've recently been watching a lot of Kirby Right Back At Ya, and y'know… I feel a lot of sympathies for Escargoon. He always has to deal with King Dedede's stupidity and failures, and he hardly ever gets any thanks for all his work. Not to mention he ends up as the butt of a lot of the king's "jokes" a lot of times.**

 **Well, I think something like this was done before, but I might as well try it myself. What if someone listened to what he had to say? Plus, this one kinda gives me a few opportunities to share a few headcanons. Just let that sink in as you read this, OK?** **Enjoy the read!**

 **Also, this may be the prequel to the Christmas fic I'll be writing soon. So there's that.**

"Yo! Escargoon! Where's my tea at?!" King Dedede shouted. "Coming, Majesty!" That's how it always went. It was like clockwork. As soon as the king awakens in the morning, he wants his tea, then his monster catalog and magnifying glass, and in some cases, his fan.

And after that, Dedede wants the castle cleaned, and the meals cooked, and the laundry done, and some wine, and a snack (or snacks), then a monster is ordered, then killed, then someone gets on the brunt of Dedede's rage. And it was always Escargoon that ended up at the wrong end of Dedede's hammer.

It was an eternally monotonous and stressful cycle for the poor snail. He made a robot to help ease some of the stress of working for King Dedede long ago, but it was put out of commission because of Kirby. If only that idiot penguin didn't press the damn button. If only he wasn't so stupid and desperate to buy that part from Nightmare Enterprises…

Escargoon sighed to himself as he delivered the tea. Thinking back at those times that made him loathe working at the castle. "Monster catalog!" Shouted the king. Escargoon grabbed the catalog and magnifying glass to spare himself the trouble of going back. King Dedede skimmed through the pages of the book, not saying a word. Maybe this time, Escargoon could get a moment's peace. He tried to slither off, when he was hit on the back of the head with the catalog.

"Ey! I didn't say you could take a break! Where's my fan? It's hot as Hell out!"

"Then take your coat off. Or better yet, get the damn thing yourself." Escargoon said, mostly to himself, but loud enough for Dedede to hear it. "What did you say?!"

"I said get it yourself, you lazy son of a bitch." He stated firmly before leaving the room, leaving behind a dumbfounded and very angry Dedede all alone. Escargoon was angry too,seething, in fact. But he didn't say anything out loud; it might cause King Dedede to come the snail's way looking for his lackey. King Dedede's anger was the _last_ thing on snail's mind at the moment. He wanted a way out.

Or at least, he wanted things to be like they were when Dedede _first_ came to Dreamland. Sure, the snail was almost twenty-one and the penguin was sixteen, but at least back then, Dedede was actually _**nice**_. Escargoon missed those days. Dedede didn't care if he was above or below the people. He just cared about the safety of the people, nothing else. No money, no gifts, nothing!

It was highly ironic that the young prince then was much more selfless than Dedede was now. Of course, nobody knew that King Dedede actually _was_ royalty, just not of Dreamland. If they did, they probably don't remember. Many things happened with Cappytown over the years, and the Cappies were as dim as rocks with some things, with even worse memories about others. It wouldn't surprise Escargoon if he left and they don't remember a thing about him, like what happened when the Erasem demonbeast went into his body, and nobody but Kirby knew who he was.

And, all the running made Escargoon wind up outside the castle. In the midst of his thoughts, he didn't even pay attention to how fast or how far he went, as long as it was a good distance away from King Dedede. A relieved sigh escaped the lackey after that.

"You appear troubled." A voice said from behind him. Escargoon cried out in surprise and turned around. It wasn't Meta Knight, but Skyla. They were so similar in appearances, that there were times it was almost impossible to tell them apart. Unless you look at the collar of the cape, the mask, and the eyes.

Then there were the accents to their voices. Meta Knight's voice was deep, with a velvety Spanish ring to it. Skyla's voice had a smooth, lilting British accent. She was more eloquent than her brother, and just more of a speaker in general. He often wished to be able to have a friendly chat with her just once. There seemed to be a lot of things he wanted to ask her, even some more… personal topics.

Escargoon rubbed the temples of his skull, sighing in relief once more. "It's just you, Miss Skyla. Don't do that. It's bad enough your brother does!" Skyla chuckled at the snail's statement. "Yes, I suppose it is. Meta was always very quiet. Not a soul could hear him approach." She giggled to herself, and the snail turned away.

"What's on your mind?" Skyla asked. "You wouldn't care to listen." Escargoon replied back. He turned toward her once more, but his voice took a darker tone. "And even if you did, would it do me any good to confide in someone like yourself?"

Skyla blinked, though it was hard to see due to her mask. A sigh escaped the female Puffal's lips, and she removed said mask. Her pupiless eyes could stare into someone's very soul. They locked eyes with one another, not exchanging words for a mere moment. "Trust me. If it's something you only wish one soul to hear, then I'll keep it close to my heart, lock and key. My ears are open only to one and my lips are sealed to all."

Escargoon smiled slightly at her. "This is something someone would usually go to Mabel to… but few people know about this. It isn't a secret, but people would think I'm lying if I told them this." Skyla tilted her head at that. "Why? What is it that's so "unbelievable"?" She asked. He sighed, scratching the back of his head and staring at the green grass of the courtyard.

"Could you come with me?"

"But of course."

The snail was slithering away, and the female Puffal was following alongside him. But, from a small distance away from the duo, Tiff, Tuff, and Kirby were listening to the conversation. Apparently, they were playing a game before they saw Escargoon and then Skyla.

"Whoa, what could it be?" Tuff asked, confused, but mostly curious. "I'm not sure. But why talk to Miss Skyla instead of Mable? I don't know too much about her, but why put so much trust into a person you barely know?" She asked. "Poyo yo." Kirby said, chiming in his two cents. "Well, maybe he has a crush on Miss Skyla!" Tuff snickered to himself when he said that. Tiff rolled her eyes at her brother.

"Come on, let's find out more." So the children followed behind the duo. They walked through Cappytown on a long trail to the beach. Tiff, Tuff, and Kirby hid behind the rocks.

"I didn't know you liked the sea." Skyla said, sitting herself down in the sand. "I want to come here more. It's always relaxed me, but then again, the seas relax anyone. They take my mind off the stress of working for Dedede."

"So that's it, then? You're stressed out over your work? You can always ask Dedede for a break once in awhile. Even he should have some sympathy." That statement surprised Escargoon; it was shockingly naive for Skyla to say something that was so… wishful. He shook his head, waving his hands in disapproval.

"No no no no no. He will kill me if I ask for even an _hour_ of rest. I'm just outside because I was trying to get away from him. I said something that made Dedede mad, and I'm pretty sure he's looking for me," He huffed an annoyed sigh at that. "I'm not going back in there. He'll take out his anger on some other schmuck dumb enough to cross him. Dedede wasn't always like that though…" Escargoon muttered out that last part, but Skyla was still able to hear.

"He always wasn't like that?" She asked. "No. In fact, he used to be very kind hearted, selfless, noble. Yeah, I know a lot of people would be surprised if they heard me say that. They'll probably think I'm lying. But it's the truth indeed. Dedede used to be like that when he first came to Dreamland; actually good." Skyla hummed in response at his words. She looked at the sea, and how the waves were crashing in the distance.

"I figured as such." Her response surprised Escargoon, though only somewhat. Skyla was just as good with reading people as her younger brother, maybe even moreso than Meta Knight. But there was still some things about Skyla that intrigued Escargoon that could be considered even more mysterious than that of her brother. How could she tell there was some good in the king in the past? Was it her Star Warrior's intuition or was it just blind guessing? Or stalking? Though that being said… that last one is _highly_ doubtful.

"How did you know?"

"I can see a glimmer in his eyes when I talk with him. Though his voice hides it well, the eyes are the true windows to his soul. I see naivety… hope… guilt. Mostly guilt, though. All the good is masked by corruption and greed. Dealing with Nightmare Enterprises corrupted him. It saddens me when I hear stories of how a man somehow managed to talk a good ruler into dealing with the devil and soon turn to a damned dictator." Skyla narrowed her eyes. "It's just not right…"

"Finally, someone who gets it! If he didn't deal with Nightmare in the first place, he wouldn't have turned evil!" A brief minute of silence fell once again. The kids were still there, unbeknownst to them, and Tiff was peering over a rock, waiting for one of them to start speaking again. Her wait wasn't long, at least.

"What about you though?" Skyla asked. "What do you mean?"

"Why do you stay there? With him?" Another pause in between answers. This one was the longest by far, but Skyla could tell he was thinking about what to say or how to word it; she noticed his right hand drawing circles in the sand, sometimes digging little holes. He scooped up a bit of sand and let it run through his fingers. It made Skyla think of an hourglass.

A deep sigh escaped the snail and he closed his eyes. "I suppose it's because I owe him. He saved my life on the day we met. There was a monster attacking the village, and it almost took my head off, but Dedede threw his hammer at the paw."

Skyla hummed thoughtfully in response as she took in the answer. "It's also because I feel safer in there. I've been with that blue oaf eleven years. Ever since I was twenty years old and he was sixteen, after that day he saved my life, I promised him that I'll be his loyal servant. What he told me that day surprised me:

" _Loyal servant my blue butt! You're gonna be my partner in crime! Fifty-fifty on all the treasure we find! Half a castle all to yourself, and even an army to control if you want to! I think we'd make a good team, Escargoon. I may have not known you long, but I have this feeling that we'll be great friends!"_

"And that's what he said. I only had one other person to call my friend, and we ended up having to leave on separate paths. I wanted to have another friend… maybe someone that wouldn't have to leave me," He glanced at Skyla and grinned slightly at her.

"Sounds like I'm in love with the king, huh?" Escargoon asked in a playful voice. It soon took an angrier turn. "Well I'm not! Everyone may think I'm in love with that fool, but it's only because I have to stay with him for the rest of my natural life! It pisses me off to think that I could make another friend; how naive my stupid self was!" He swiped his hand through the sand, the grains landing by the coastline.

"Hoping that you have someone that'll be your friend isn't naivety, Escargoon." Skyla told him. "Then what is it then?" He asked angrily. But it didn't phase Skyla. "It's a lot of things. You miss your old friend, you feel lonesome, the friend you made of Dedede back all those years ago is currently trapped in a darkness only a loyal friend can free him from, and the fact you've built such a thick shell around a bitter heart that you don't realize that you made another friend as well."

Those words surprised him. Especially the tone that Skyla spoke them in. She seemed so nonchalant and calm about the entire issue. It was a sort of calmness that could ease the tension of any situation similar to the current issue at hand. Surprise grew even more when Escargoon found himself being hugged by the navy blue Puffal A small blush creeped onto his face, and the warmth grew when he hugged Skyla back.

"You see me as a friend?" He asked, the tone of his voice a little more hopeful than questioning. Skyla let go and nodded with a small smile on her face.

"I do, yes. The first friend I've made in a long time. A lot of the friends I made were in my days in the war, well after I was over a hundred years old. I was one of the eldest children born in my village, and I had little interest in games. Mother and Father told me about the war from an early age, and I always knew I would be following their footsteps. But, I invested my time in other studies as well that would be to my benefit. I never did make any friends in my childhood; I saw them as a waste of my time I could be using to learn or train. Mother was sick with a terminal illness long before I was conceived. She was just hit with the brunt of it a few months before Meta was born." Her voice cracked at that last sentence before she paused again.

"She died when he was two. But I didn't stay around long enough to watch him grow up. Sir Arthur sent a letter to my family saying that they needed as many able bodied members of our family as they could get, and I had to leave. Father couldn't leave Meta behind, so he stayed." Skyla looked away, toward the sea. The waves seemed to be crashing more on the shoreline.

"Why couldn't your father go?"

"He promised Mother that he would take care of us if she were to die. Meta came along by accident though… he blamed himself for Mother dying when she did. Because she did get worse after he was born…"

Tears started welling up in her eyes. Escargoon didn't want to see Skyla cry; he already felt a twinge of guilt for her somehow bringing that up. Because he knew he wouldn't understand. He was an only child, and his mother was still alive. As for a father, well, who knows?

He felt nothing for that question one way or another. Unless apathy counted, then there was a lot of that, since he didn't have a paternal figure in his life. That may explain why he acted more feminine than normal males (or whatever he was, considering that he is a snail, and classified as a hermaphrodite).

He didn't know what to say to her to make her feel better. He could feel the warm tears from her eyes fall onto his skin, since she started hugging him again all of a sudden. There wasn't a sob, not a whimper, nothing. Just the sound of her breaths as she tried to stay calm… or as she tried to calm herself down. She sniffed, then wiped the tears from her eyes as she let go of him.

"I apologize. I have no clue what came over me." Her eyes were still a bit puffy, and her cheeks were a little red. He wasn't sure if that was just from her crying or a blush out of embarrassment, but he smiled slightly at her.

"I think that was just a moment, Skyla. I was venting to you, and you probably needed to say something too," Escargoon looked at the sea again. A contented sigh escaped him. The waves were still crashing as they were before, but they were less rough, and they seemed to be calming down a little bit. "I guess we both have something that we need to talk to someone about, huh?" Skyla laughed at him a little.

"Yes, I suppose so. It's funny. I came with you so I could be your confidant, and I end up sharing something with you. Thank you though."

"Thank me? I should be thanking you, Skyla. I feel better. Could we do this again, perhaps?" He asked, a small blush finding its way to his face. Skyla chuckled. "I wouldn't really want to vent unless we needed to. But getting to know each other is a better way to put the question. It's a yes."

Escargoon smiled at Skyla again, and she smiled back. It was a warmer, more expressive smile than the small, amused ones that she flashed before. This smile revealed her teeth; mainly her top ones, and they were a pretty pearly white.

"Well, I suppose we better go back to the castle. I'll have to take my knocks sooner or later." Skyla raised one hand and shook her head. "You're not going in this one alone. I'll make sure he doesn't try a damn thing."

"You don't have to do that, Skyla."

"I insist." As she said that, Skyla heard a small pebble hit a rock and land in the sand near the rocky alcove. She briefly turned toward the rocks and squinted her eyes just as Escargoon started his way back. "Are you coming?" He asked.

"I am. But I'll catch up with you, alright?"

"Suit yourself." He said with a shrug. "I'm taking it slow when I get in the village; I'm not in a hurry, and I'd like you to be by me when we see His Majesty. Heh… I am kind of afraid to know what he'll do without you near me. Well, I'll be off." And he started slithering back to Cappytown.

Once he was far enough away, Skyla walked toward the rocks. "You couldn't help but follow, could you, children?" She asked aloud. Tiff, Tuff, and Kirby came out from behind the rock alcove. "How did you know we were there?" Tiff asked.

"I didn't acknowledge your presence, but I knew all along. If you didn't bring Kirby along, I probably wouldn't have discovered you until I heard that rock fall. Child, I can sense other Star Warriors and I can sense demons. You basically gave yourself away, but I didn't care to acknowledge it, due to the fact that Escargoon needed to vent. And some of the things he said he wouldn't have said knowing you three were near."

"Did you really believe him?" Tiff asked. "Yes, I actually believe him. You can't lie about your past unless you're ashamed of it. The tone of his voice also shares a lot, but really…" She turned to spy the fading figure of the lavender snail. A smile grew across her face.

 **"** He's just happy someone finally listened."


End file.
